This invention relates to the art of selectively operable release devices and, more particularly, to improvements in such devices which are remotely operated.
The present invention finds particular utility in connection with remotely controlling the release of a bull rope from a bull such as during a bull riding contest at a rodeo. Accordingly, the invention will be disclosed and described in detail in connection with such a release device. At the same time, it will be appreciated that the device can be used for selectively and remotely releasing components other than a bull rope such as, for example, the flank strap applied around the flank of a horse in connection with a bucking contest in a rodeo, a parachute release, and the like.
The present invention relates in particular to improvements in a remotely controlled or operable bull rope release device of the character disclosed in patent 5,771,668 to Younger, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for purposes of background information. As is well known, in a bull riding contest at a rodeo a bull is trained to buck while a rider attempts to remain on the bull for a specified period of time. The rider holds onto the bull with one hand through the use of a bull rope or strap which can be wrapped around the chest of the bull immediately behind the front legs. Typically, in the absence of the use of a release device, a bull rider wraps the bull rope or strap around the chest of the bull and inserts one end of the bull rope through a loop fastened to the other end and the rider then pulls the rope to tightly secure the rope to the bull. The free end of the rope or strap is then wrapped tightly around the rider""s hand, and when the rider is thrown from the bull, or the specified time period has expired, the rider will attempt to let go of the rope in order to dismount from the bull. Occasionally, when a rider is thrown from the bull, a rider""s hand remains secured to the bull rope because of the tight grip caused by wrapping the rope about the rider""s hands. When this happens, the rider may be dragged by the bull, stepped on, kicked, and/or otherwise injured. In any event, the bull rider is basically helpless until a rodeo clown or other person is able to unwind the rope from the rider""s hand.
One effort to avoid such potential injury to a bull rider is disclosed in the aforementioned patent to Younger and comprises a remotely controlled release device in which one end of the bull rope is fixedly attached to a housing and the other end is secured to a member which is releasable from the housing in response to a signal transmitted to a receiver in the housing from a remotely located transmitter controlled by a person such as a rodeo clown. In response to the signal from the transmitter, the receiver actuates a servo mechanism which releases the releasable member. Accordingly, the bull rope is released from the bull, whereby the rider, whether dismounting or being thrown from the bull, is completely separated therefrom and cannot be dragged by the bull.
While the Younger device is operable to release a bull rope, there are a number of disadvantages attendant to its manufacture, structure and use. In this respect, for example, the interconnecting pivotal latch finger and slot arrangement for holding the releasable member in the housing often, due to the pulling stress on the bull rope during use, does not disengage to release the releasable member in response to the control signal from the transmitter. It will be appreciated of course that reliability in operation is of extreme importance for the safety of the rider. Further, the structural complexity of the servo mechanism by which the latch finger is displaced relative to the slot not only lends to the unreliability with regard to separating the latch finger from the slot but also is slower than desired in doing so when release of the releasable member is achieved. Moreover, reloading the device following use is difficult in that the end of the releasable member introduced into the housing has to laterally pivot the latch finger out of the path of the end in order to re-engage the finger and slot, and the lateral displacement of the finger requires excessive axial force on the releasable member. Still further, the device is undesirably large as a result of the structural complexity and arrangement of the component parts in the housing, and production and maintenance costs are undesirably high as a result of the structural complexity.
A radio controlled bucking strap release mechanism is disclosed in patent 3,733,530 to Labart, et al. As is well known, a bucking strap is applied to a horse or bull in the flank area thereof to cause the animal to buck more actively, such as in a bucking contest at a rodeo. The bucking strap is not gripped by the rider, and the purpose of the radio operated release is to disconnect the bucking strap and thus caine the animal so that it will stop bucking. Accordingly, the device does not help a rider release his hands from the bull rope. Moreover, the release mechanism in Labart, et al. includes a motor, gear and lost motion linkage arrangement which would render the mechanism undesirably slow in operation. Furthermore, the releasable member is held in place in the mechanism by a lateral force against one side thereof which forces the member against a fixed surface on the opposite side thereof. Such an unbalanced holding force could interfere with separation of the releasable member from the housing of the mechanism, thus rendering the mechanism unreliable in operation.
In accordance with the present invention, a remotely operated release device is provided which minimizes and/or overcomes the foregoing and other disadvantages of prior art release mechanisms. More particularly in this respect, a release mechanism in accordance with one aspect of the present invention comprises a releasable member having an end releasably interengaged with a latching mechanism comprising a pair of gripping members mounted on laterally opposite sides of the releasable member for movement toward and away from the end between first and second positions in which the gripping members respectively hold and release the releasable member. The lateral displacement of the gripping members away from the end of the releasable member advantageously minimizes the area of interengagement between the gripping members and the end of the releasable member, thus optimizing reliability with respect to release of the releasable member in response to a control signal from the remotely operated transmitter. Preferably, the end of the releasable member is a spherical head and the gripping members have spherical surfaces of corresponding contour which capture the head therebetween, and the gripping members are pivotal laterally outwardly of the head, thus further promoting reliability in connection with releasing the releasable member.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, the release mechanism includes solenoid operated lever components providing a latching arrangement with respect to a spring driven shaft which both displaces the gripping members to the released position thereof and propels the releasable member from the release mechanism. The release mechanism also includes a linkage arrangement between the shaft and gripping members which assures positive displacement thereof to release the releasable member. The lever and link arrangement advantageously enables a low profile for the release device transverse to the direction of lateral displacement of the gripping members, and the lever and link components and drive shaft are structurally and operatively interconnected so as to promote reliability in operation. Advantageously, reloading the releasable member after use is achieved without having to overcome any forces against the member other than the force of the shaft spring, and the latter is overcome by a strictly axial force of the releasable member against the shaft. Still further, the component parts are structurally simple, easily accessible for inspection and/or maintenance and/or replacement of parts and, preferably, are constructed of stainless steel and an aluminum alloy for durability and protection against rusting. All of the latter attributes lend to minimizing both manufacturing and maintenance costs.
It is accordingly an outstanding object of the present invention to provide an improved remotely operated release device of the character having a releasable member which is separable from the device upon receipt of a control signal from a remotely operated signal transmitter.
Another object is the provision of a release device of the foregoing character having improved dependability and reliability in operation in comparison with similar remotely operated release devices heretofore available.
A further object is the provision of a release device of the foregoing character which comprises a releasable member and a pair of gripping members on laterally opposite sides thereof and displaceable toward and away from an end of the releasable member respectively between holding and released positions relative to the releasable member and which gripping members and end promote reliability and dependability with respect to disengaging and releasing the releasable member.
Yet a further object of the invention is the provision of a release device of the foregoing character including a release mechanism which is more dependable and reliable in operation for releasing the releasable member and which is easier to reload following use than the release devices heretofore available.
Still a further object is the provision of a release device of the foregoing character in which the release mechanism comprises a drive shaft for displacing the gripping members to the released positions thereof and a latching arrangement for controlling release of the shaft in response to a control signal from a remotely located transmitter.
Still another object is the provision of a release device of the foregoing character comprising a releasable member having a spherical head, a pair of pivotal gripping members on laterally opposite sides of the head and having spherical surfaces of corresponding contour for engaging and disengaging therewith, and a spring biased drive shaft having a latched position in which the gripping members capture the head therebetween to hold the releasable member in place in the device and a released position in which the spring biases the shaft to displace the gripping members away from the head of the releasable member and to propel the releasable member away from the release mechanism.